The Whisper of the Heart
by Sweet Candy Rain
Summary: Leonardo da Vinci was a genius, alas he lacked the inspiration to create his first masterpiece. Music was your passion and your one and only language. Even though you were silent, you both communicated through your passion of Art. Leo x Reader/OC
1. Prologue

The crashing waves of the sea and the rustling in the wind kissed your beautiful face as you smiled and closed your eyes ~ listening to the songs of nature.

This kind of tranquil silence was your friend, it was patient, and it never complained, it just listened.

This was the place where you took your inspirations in writing new melodies to play in public.

You believed that to have such talent, it would be a cruel sin to the world to not share it.

You didn't want money in exchange of your songs, you just wanted to share the emotion to others, as if you were communicating with them.

You were once a noble back in Venice. This explained why your pouch of florins were always full. The banks were always great places to invest on, and quite safe to keep track of your family fortune.

You were the only living [Surname] in the whole of Italy. Some of your family were murdered, some of them were never heard of again, and some of them died of illness, and more.

Looking back, you remembered how you have always thought that maybe your family name was a curse.

And so, this was one of the reasons why you decided to leave Venice and travel around Italy before you started travelling around the world.

Now here you were, at Firenze. Quite a beautiful town, and many wonderful audiences who appreciated your sense of 'art'.

You plucked the strings of your lyre, keeping true to the rhythm of the waves crashing down on the shore. The wind became your singer, your primma donna.

With eyes closed, you continued to let your serenity and your fingers pluck the chords that matched the scenery... that matched your serenity.

Plucking the final note of your melody, you took a deep breath and exhaled the scent of the sea.

With that, you bowed to the sea ~ thanking it for listening to you so intently whilst helping you with your rhythm and you blew a kiss into the air, quite literally ~ adoring the soft vocals of your primma donna.

To others, it may look as if you were crazy, but to you ~ you were in your own fabulous world. You were in a new world where you left your life as a noble behind, to start a new one ~ the life of freedom, and the life of art.

You turned on your heels, once satisfied, to the markets. You had to admit that you were getting quite hungry.

You always noticed how after every performance, your stomach seems to find its way to growl at you, not that it was displeased with your music, but that it was begging you to feed it.

You giggled to yourself before heading out to the fruit stand.

You bought a small basket of juicy ripe apples and went ahead to buy bread from the bakery.

Once there, you noticed a shadow dashed so quickly that when you looked up, you couldn't figure out whether you were seeing things, or whether you were -

"Mi scusi..." someone quietly said as he bumped into you.

You noticed that the person who bumped into you had a slender frame, very much like a woman's.

You have also noticed that- seeing a very familiar pouch within the person's grasps - you have just been robbed.

You chased after the thief just as, apparently it was a she, she took off, shoving the crowds out of her way.

People around you looked at the commotion with confusion.

Were you two playing a game?

if you were really robbed, why weren't you screaming at the thief?

The thief noticed your silence but could see the determination in your eyes to catch her. _A quiet type... don't see many of those these days._ she thought to herself.

You ran through the plaza, still chasing the thief.

With your persistence and stamina, you were sure that you could have tackled her, if it wasn't for the fact that -

_CRASH_

you crashed against someone.

There goes your allowance for the whole week.

Although you were rich, you didn't find the need to touch your parent's wealth more than you should.

It was why you gave yourself an allowance every week.

_"Mi dispiace, signorina..."_

you heard a voice coming from the person you just crashed into. A pair of inked arms picked up the things that were scattered on the stone tiles.

You decided to help and started picking each of them one by one. The moment you started, you noticed that they were paintings.

One was a painting by of the sky, the others about the harbour, and others were about the busy streets of Firenze.

Unfortunately... most of the paintings were ruined or their canvases were torn apart. Your heart fell at the sight of such lovely paintings become useless due to sheer carelessness ~ mostly on your part.

"_Madre de Dio_... my paintings..." you heard him sigh the words out.

You felt worse... you must have cost him a fortune with the paintings, and surprisingly the man threw you a handsome boyish smile. He was wearing red doublets with matching red cap that made his brownish locks stand out yet blended in with the colour.

By the way he dressed, the inks on his sleeves, and the paintings he picked up, he was a painter.

"I apologise for running into you, signorina." he said once again, trying hard to deviate the topic that concerns you mostly.

You shook your head, indicating that it was alright, but in truth, you felt bad that you lost about a thousand worth of florins. But ofcourse, seeing the genuine concern and apology of the stranger, you decided to just leave it be. Most especially... his beautiful paintings.

You sent an apologetic smile his way, he understood immediately. However it kept him guessing why you never uttered one word to him, not even a hurt groan when you collided to one another.

"_Va bene, signorina. _I will try and make a few more_. Il mio nome è Leonardo._."

he bowed as he took your hand gently and kissed it.

He was awaiting for you to greet him back, but no words came out of your lips.

"Is everything alright signorina?"

Leonardo asked you, his concern growing by the minute.

You wanted to say something... anything! You really wanted to apologise for ruinning his work, or reprimand him for being in your way whilst chasing a thief.

You nodded your head solemnly and curtseyed slowly, despite your somewhat masculine outfit.

You had a white puff sleeved buttoned up shirt, wrapped up with a red stringed corset, black figure hugging pants and leather boots, with a red gold trimmed cap. Your shirt protruded from the small corset and its length reached to about half your bum, making sure to leave enough for the imagination of your feminine contours.

Looking into Leonardo's eyes you saw optimism within his brown orbs that still contained genuine sincerity.

It would be rude to leave him as such in the dust.

Leonardo was cautious now. Not only were you backing away from him when he tried to reach out for you, asking if you were okay since you never said a single word to him, your eyes held a turmoil of emotions, as if you were having an inner battle with your self conciousness with a matter of utmost importance.

You held your head up , looking into his brown orbs with determination. He had a feeling that you made up your mind about something.

You placed your hand on your throat and parted your lips to speak?, he supposed.

However, nothing but air came out of your naturally rosy lips.

It didn't take a genius, despite the fact he was one, to figure out what you meant.

"You are mute..."


	2. Chapter 1

Whisper of the Heart

Note:

LEGENDS:

[f/n] : First name

[l/n] : Last name

Chapter 1 :

Recap:

You placed your hand on your throat and parted your lips to speak?, he supposed.

However, nothing but air came out of your naturally rosy lips.

It didn't take a genius, despite the fact he was one, to figure out what you meant.

"You are mute..."

START OF STORY

It was a warm home due to the roaring fire in the fireplace, though quite filled with clutter to the untrained and unappreciative eye. To you, this place was filled with ingenuity and innovation.

Leonardo invited you to his place, in which you gladly accepted, quietly wanting to help the painter to re-create the ruined and very much torn canvases of his beautiful paintings.

i "Mi dispiace per il disordine." /i [1]

Leonardo said bashfully as he emerged from the kitchen with a tray of bread rolls and a tea pot accompanied by cups of tea, sugar and milk, you assumed.

He carefully placed the pottery on the table where your elbows were propped whilst your hands cupped your face as you stared at the man before you. Without him even noticing, you ran your eyes through the contours of his face, observing each feature carefully.

He was lightly bearded, and he looked quite young, about mid-twenties. His brown hair was shoulder length, typical style for men in this day and age. His eyes were the most piercing, electrifying, shade of blue, but they held such gentleness within them. His eyes almost seemed like it shined with so much wonder and spark. You can tell by the amount of drawings, paintings, and wooden projects around his abode that he was a creature with insatiable thirst for knowledge.

The moment he started speaking again, you were snapped out of your train of thought.

"I hope you would like some tea and buttered bread rolls, isignorina/i."

You smiled at him kindly, and bowed slightly, silently thanking him for inviting you to his place and being so hospitable towards you despite the fact that he did lose quite a lot of money for those commissioned paintings.

He returned your smile but his expression slightly changed to a tinge of confusion as you placed a hand on his shoulder to gain his attention. You started curling your hands to one another, making a gesture when cleansing them. He immediately understood and proceeded to show you the way to the sink.

"This way, my lady."

You arrived at the kitchen and washed your hands carefully as you were a very hygienic person. You walked back to the dining table, which you assumed to be, as there were still stacks of paper and books at the side. Leonardo had kindly placed the largest piece of bread on your plate and the cup of tea on your right hand side.

He stood up the moment you came back and pulled a chair out for you with a handsome smile. "Signorina." He said, gesturing at the chair.

You smiled back, a sign of thanks for being such a gentleman before taking your seat. Soon after a short prayer of thanks, you took the knife and fork and proceeded to cut the bread into tiny pieces.

Even though you left the life of being a noble for the sake of pursuing your passion and starting anew from your 'family curse', your mannerisms never ceased to take control of your subconsciousness.

Before you could even slice the soft hot bread, you realised Leonardo was staring at you, his bread within his grasps, about to take a bite. When he snapped out of his trance, he blushed and started stuttering and placed the bread back on his plate and took out his own cutleries.

"I apologise, where are my manners? Sometimes living alone would render someone to forget their dining etiquette, especially one such as myself who barely gets any visitors to stay for a cup of tea."

You nodded your head slowly, giving a small smile that expressed your understanding. You were the guest and you shouldn't make a fool of your host. So you decided to place your cutleries back on the table and proceeded to eat your bread with your hands.

Leonardo chuckled, copying you. i"Buon apetito!"/i

As you bit on the bread the second time, the warmth of the pastry finally got through your senses – building the warmth slowly until you had to let go due to the hot temperature. As you dropped the pastry, your instincts kicked in and caught the bread. However, you gripped it too tight and suddenly some sort of red 'thing', you thought, squirted out of the centre. Your face contorted to a sense of confusion as the thick liquid dripped from your cheek down to your top and corset.

Leonardo quickly stood up and searched for a cloth whilst stuttering an apology for not telling you that there was a strawberry concoction in the centre of the pastry.

You slid your finger on your cheek while the genius explained in stuttered embarrassment and you proceeded to taste the liquid. Your eyebrows shot up in surprise, it was utterly delicious!

"Do you like it?" Leonardo smiled, apparently finished apologising, not that he can figure out when to stop as you were mute.

You nodded your head vigorously and proceeded to dip your finger on your shirt to get rid of the delicious crimson.

"It's made out of strawberries and sugar, but I didn't know what to..."

The genius stopped talking slowly as he got transfixed at the sight of you dipping your finger near your bosom area of your corset. With him being very ivery/i familiar of the human anatomy, he could safely say that you were wiping on your nipple area.

You closed your eyes as you savoured the flavour of the sweet 'thing'. You soon realised, it got quiet and Leonardo didn't tell you what his concoction was called. You swallowed it and opened your eyes to see the painter staring at you with his mouth agape once more. You bit your bottom lip, not knowing why his expression was so.

If only you knew that he was feeling rather very flustered and... hard. Thankfully that you were both sitting on a table, he could hide his growing arousal, and with the room being dimly lit by the cackling fire, he could hide his flustered face.

You cocked your head to the side, expressing your confusion and this snapped Leonardo out of his trance. He shook his head, shaking the thoughts away. Although he was naive, optimistic, and innocent like what his friends and Ezio called him, he was still a man.

i"Mi dispiace /i, I'm just a bit out of it today, signorina. It's been a long day as I have just finished my last painting earlier." He excused, hoping it would be enough to cover up his embarrassment and the situation.

Your guilt started eating up on you again, and your heart sank at the mention of his paintings. Your ebony eyebrows furrowed apologetically, and your lips twisted to a sad and guilty frown.

"N-no no no! Signorina, iè bene!/i" [2] "I didn't like them anyway, they just had no... I don't know, life? Purpose? Meaning?"

You met Leonardo's soft gaze but your sad expression changed into slight outrage. You stood up and protested in your silent ways.

You gestured for him to stop talking non-sense, your lips pursed in determination and your eyes hard and stern as steel.

"You are too kind, signorina... but that is just how I see it. I don't want to be just a painter." He turned his back to you, as he lifted his head at the ceiling, his arms wide open. "I want to change the world! I want to be able to help make the impossible, possible! I want to have meaning in my creations, to have purpose!"

Although you only met Leonardo for a couple of hours, you couldn't help but admire his enthusiasm and optimism. He somehow reminded you of yourself back in the days.

You had two siblings, both were older than you; Francesco and Michael [3]. Since childhood, you have always been the prissy yet tomboyish girl. You remembered one specific sweet memory, it was when you were about seven years old, Francesco being the eldest was twelve, and Michael was nine. [4] You were all playing in the harbour, laughing out loud at how much fun the three of you were having, sometimes even racing while testing your sense of balance at the edge of the harbour.

Your family was very well known in Venice. Your father was a great and kind merchant, and your mother was the best tailor. She showed her utmost skill by providing you and your brothers the most fashionable clothes around the city.

Then one day, at the age of fifteen [5], after coming home late to pick some flowers in the nearby meadow, you arrived in the [L/N] villa to find it wrecked and ransacked. You dropped the flowers and hurriedly tried to find anyone at home. The only things you found were blood and a wrecked home. You couldn't find your parents or your brothers, and with the look of the house and all that blood, you knew that they were gone. Since then, you were trapped in solitude, and that was the last time you ever spoke a word or a sound.

"Signorina? Signorina?"

You blinked once you were brought back to reality, Leonardo was waving a hand in front of your face. You were slightly hyperventilating as you remembered that terrible night.

He took out a piece of clean cloth from his pocket and gave it to you. You took it gratefully and as soon as it came in contact with your face, you could smell roses, the very same fragrance that enveloped the artist.

You smiled slightly at this. Roses were your mother's favourite flowers.

Suddenly, thunder struck and lightning flashed, but not a single drop of rain could be seen from the window. You had a very worried look, even if you walked out of Leonardo's workshop now and ran as fast as you could, you wouldn't be able to get to the bank to withdraw some of your money, and then find an inn with a vacant room with the storm soaring high above Florence, if the loud roar of thunder and violent flash of lightning was anything to go by.

You were in a dilemma, and if only you weren't robbed, you wouldn't have this predicament in the first place.

"It's getting late, and it would seem a storm is fast approaching. Is your home near-by?"

You shook your head.

"I see. Where is it located?, if I may ask so I could escort you. Letting a lovely lady like you be would not only be rude but would definitely be dangerous as well."

You dropped your gaze and shuffled your feet. Something was wrong, and it clicked in Leonardo's mind.

"Do... Do you have a home, signorina?"

Once again, you shook your head.

Leonardo kept silent and you looked up the moment you saw his shadow move. He walked back to you with a smile and handed you what would seem like a nightgown.

"I was going to use that for a mannequin for my art, but it would seem that you need it more than it does."

A questioning look was cast upon your beautiful face.

"Would you like to stay here for the night, until the storm clears? I would assume you sleep in the inn as you seem very cleanly dressed, and still kept your etiquette intact. However, as I have said, it is very late and I would not like to risk you catching the storm on your way."

An appreciative smile, silence, and Leonardo took his lamp and gestured you upstairs to your room with a smile. "Shall we?"

When you reached your room, and after bidding you good night, you started to realise how hard it was to really communicate when you were silent.

Sure you had a hard time communicating when you wanted something specific from the shops... but that really didn't last as long as your 'conversation' with Leonardo went. You never hung out with anyone this long, neither could they tolerate you without your music, as if you were useless without entertainment.

You changed clothes and lied on your bed, looking up at the ceiling.

You realised, you would need to withdraw quite an amount of money tomorrow, despite your budget being ruined... You needed paper... lots... and lots of paper with a quill and ink to communicate with Leonardo.

Then again, you wouldn't be able to carry a huge stack of paper everywhere all the time... they might fly away!

Tomorrow, you would have to buy the items, and stitch through the papers to use it as a notebook, instead of bringing scrolls or papers without any sort of adhesive to put them together and easily dispose them when all spaces were occupied.

Tomorrow, though you never saw it coming as you close your eyes to surrender to your slumber, would be the start of a not so lonesome life anymore.

[1] I'm sorry about the mess

[2] It is alright!

[3] Pronounced as Mi-ka-el, although it is said that the Italian version of Michael is Michele. But I like the 'a' sound for the character's brother.

[4] Your character's and Michael's age reminds me of Taylor's Swift's song: Mary's Song. She said, I was seven and you were nine... :P hahahah

[5] LOL! Another Taylor Swift's song! 'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you're gonna believe 'em! :P


	3. Chapter 2

WHISPER OF THE HEART Chapter 2:

* * *

Author's note:

I am so sorry for the delay everyone. I have been absolutely busy. I never thought I'd get this much attention for this fanfic, THANK YOU SO MUCH! :D Please review as your reviews really kick my behind to start writing... I become inspired!

Messages would be great too ^_^ I hope you enjoy this chapter. I wrote half of it in 2 hours. :P

I also put some of the dialogues in the centre... because Fanfiction doesn't like me to put too much paragraph space so you readers can read the story easily... sigh... oh well... so sorry if the layout sucks...

* * *

Recap:

Tomorrow, you would have to buy the items, and stitch through the papers to use it as a notebook, instead of bringing scrolls or papers without any sort of adhesive to put them together and easily dispose them when all spaces were occupied.

Tomorrow, though you never saw it coming as you close your eyes to surrender to your slumber, would be the start of a not so lonesome life anymore.

* * *

*NOTE: Everyone I am NOT, I repeat... NOT going to put anymore Italian phrases unless I really needed to. Signorina and other very simple and understandable basic Italian would still be written. I just think it would be a lot easier for the readers, and for me, to do this so you won't have to scroll down at the very bottom of the chapter to find out what a sentence or specific Italian word meant. I know it adds character and a more realistic feel about the characters but I think most would agree that this was a better move. So for those who do not like that, I'm sorry but I really think it would be easier for all of us that way. Thank you PLEASE READ AND REVIEW ^_^

* * *

Start of Chapter

* * *

You couldn't sleep, no matter how hard you tried or how bored you were, much thanks to the roaring thunder and the violent flashes of lightning. That night, you started thinking how horrible it would have been if you pretended to Leonardo that you resided in a home in Firenze just so he wouldn't be bothered much longer with your incapability to speak nor help him with his ruined work.

Despite the fact that he expressed his genuine forgiveness for the mishap, you couldn't forgive yourself as you knew it meant a lot to the artist. How would you be able to help him though? You didn't know how to paint. Sure you did, but definitely nowhere near his unmatched skills!

You decided to think about it in the morning and decided to memorise the number of things you needed for tomorrow to communicate with Leonardo. It is, after all, very tiresome to give company to a mute.

You felt so useless at the thought.

A flash of lightning interrupted your thoughts, and it was soon followed by a crack of thunder. You have noticed how the time between the flash of lightning and thunder was dwindling to smaller digits. The weather outside was superbly horrible, you didn't know what else would happen if it continued on like this. You prayed that everyone would be safe, especially the men in the oceans and seas.

You tried so hard to disregard one of your fears, the lightning and thunder, but it only became harder as the wind violently blew the trees that kept hitting your temporary home.

You needed comfort, no matter how cowardly and childish it sounded, and the only person who would be able to help you with that would be Leonardo.

A slight tug in your heart stopped you from turning the knob of your room to lead you to the hallway, realising that you were going to bother the artist even more. Another flash of lightning cleared your doubts and indecisiveness as you attempted to make a small shriek; which only came out as a small gasp, and rushed out to the hallway.

There were some candles perched by the wall with some candle holders to provide light through the pathways of the workshop. You peeked at every door, which were empty of any living thing. Finally, you gave up and went downstairs to the workshop; thinking that going through Leonardo's collection of artworks and crafts would divert your attention from the weather.

Surprisingly, you saw a small light coming from a flickering candle and of the fireplace, before you could even un-perch one candle from the wall. Everything else was dark except the dining table, which was now filled with Leonardo's work sheets, just like before you started your meal with him.

He was there, focused on his sketch, his quill squiggling in all parts of the paper in calculated moves. He then stopped, scratched his hair; which was now free from his feathered cap, in frustration and crumpled the paper, throwing it in your direction.

Not hearing the light thud of the paper meeting the floor, he looked up to see the paper in your hands.

"Signorina, what are you doing up so late? Did I wake you?"

You smiled and shook your head. You then opened the crumpled piece of paper and gave him a questioning look.

"Ah, well... that was a design for my flying machine. Alas... the design for the wings would not accommodate the velocity and speed of the prototype if it were to- _mi scusi, _but what are you doing, my lady?"

You took a stool and sat down across from where Leonardo was sitting. You took his quill and started drawing on his own drawing from the paper he threw in your direction. The artist was quiet... paying close attention to your own doodling. A few minutes later, you showed him a picture of a triangular shaped mechanism with a simple handle attached to it and a drawing of a man holding on to the handles.

You then wrote on another piece of paper an explanation to your drawing.

"Why won't we start off with a simple mechanism that would help us glide through the air? And once we've calibrated the gliding prototype to accommodate a longer stable flight, we can start making an entirely new design. Always make small steps before attempting to make a leap." Leonardo read.

He was utterly surprised by the simplicity of your idea and yet how brilliant it was. Why didn't he think of that before? Learning and knowing the basics may seem irrelevant when you already know what you're doing, but when inventing, it was a step that he always seemed to have forgotten. He was a dreamer, he dreamed big... but he forgot to take it slow, steady, and be patient by making small steps.

He smiled at you sincerely and placed your plan of a new prototype back on his desk. He took a blank piece of parchment and gave it to you while the quill was still within your grasps. The feather tickled your lips, and the sensation itself made you smile. However the smile you had on your face was that of returning the artist's smile.

"_Grazie mille, signorina."_ How could I have forgotten that very saying itself?"

Your smile became wider and you couldn't help but look down, feeling the heat rise up to your cheeks.

"Tell me, signorina... I never got your name."

He gestured towards the parchment, urging you to write your name.

" (f/n)"

You did not want to put your surname in fear that he would recognise it. You asked yourself why you did what you did, deep in your heart you knew that you wanted a new life; why bother using a surname of your past?

"How quaint, I wouldn't have thought your name would be as you say."

You gave him a questioning look with a raise of an eyebrow.

"Please understand, signorina (f/n), I meant no insult. Merely, the name you have given me suits you much better than the name I initially thought your name to be."

Your lips slowly curved into an appreciative smile. Through the time you have met Leonardo, which was barely twenty four hours, you could already tell that he was a very patient, kind, and intelligent man. Now that you think about it, Leonardo was the only person who talked to you for this long, and quite so patiently, since your family died.

The artist took your smile as a gesture that the misunderstanding completely vanished.

"Would you, perhaps, _signorina_, be interested in... working... with me?"

This question took you completely by surprise. Granted, you would have asked him if you could so you would be able to repay his kindness, but you never thought he would have asked you; still a stranger, to stay in his home and be considered as a partner in art.

You have heard of Leonardo da Vinci before, whispers by the townspeople of how he was truly a genius in all classes of art and science. You never took much importance in what they were saying, you were used to being surrounded by masterpieces and amazing painters around Italy since you were young. One of the perks of being a noble, you supposed. After all, Firenze was FILLED with painters, it was hard to stand out especially if people were also talking about others after a discussion of Leonardo and his skills.

Looking back to what you were confronted with, Leonardo was still looking down at you, expecting a nod or a shake of the head.

Instead you curtseyed. A sign of being honoured to be a part of his work.

Leonardo bowed in return a few seconds later, not expecting you to curtsey at all as an answer.

"Well then, now that you and I are partners, let alone you; signorina, being immersed in my prototypes and inventions, what is it that you do for a living?"

You looked around the room, looking for something in particular. There, right behind a dusty corner was a lyre.

You wanted to ask Leonardo if he happened to own and play the instrument, but you had to answer his question first. He was sitting down on his chair; the very chair he abused through days and nights of working and drawing. He was facing you, urging you to sit down on the chair in front of him. The moment you picked up his lyre, he knew that you were a bard. However, he had to hear you play.

You sat down comfortably across him, and started playing a song your father taught you. He never got to name his masterpiece but you knew it was purposely done with no lyrics whatsoever. Just a melody that became his masterpiece before he disappeared together with everyone else in the mansion.

Your fingers acted as if they had a mind of their own. They had played this song numerous times, but only when you were alone. It was probably the only song you knew that you never played in front of the crowd, or anyone for that matter. What made you want to play it for Leonardo?

To you as an artist, showing and giving your creations to others were different to an Artist sharing his world and ideas to you. Many artists were afraid of their masterpieces being stolen. Stealing come in many forms. To commit thievery is more than just stealing ones money, but it could have stolen one person's meal which could have effectively deprived them of their last.

To commit a lie, you stole the truth from the person. To commit a murder, was to steal a man or woman who was meant to love and have a family with someone in the future; practically stealing their life and someone else's destiny away. To copy ones work, plagiarism, is to steal their right and rewards for their hard work over their masterpiece. Stealing, to you, was the only sin in this world that came with different names and forms and it was the very crime any artist was afraid of the most; their ideas be stolen.

So for Leonardo to share his future glory, if he would be able to successfully pull this off with you, was a matter of deep trust between two artists.

Why not share with him something very personal and something that meant so much to you just the way his art meant so much to him?

You continued to play the lyre skilfully, closing your eyes and just letting the song sway your body; take control of your mind, and letting the beat of your heart become its maestro; teaching it to move into the beat and tempo.

When you finished playing, silence filled the room. You kept your head low, feeling tears brimming in your eyes. You didn't know if it was either the memory the melody gave you or the fact that Leonardo was too quiet that he might have not liked the song at all. Probably both.

Then, a clap was heard, then another, and another, until finally it turned to a one-man applause. Leonardo couldn't stop clapping, still not saying a single word.

You quickly wiped the tears and looked at the genius in front of you. He was still silent but his action and facial features could have spoken for themselves. He was completely and utterly amazed.

"Signorina... I have no words to express how beautiful that song was. Granted there were no lyrics but, it was as if the melody itself could sing it without words. I don't know how else to say it but I could feel the words."

You were surprised but very glad. Even though the song remained unnamed, it touched the heart of an amazing artist. It was always a great pride of an artist if a fellow colleague appreciated it as much as Leonardo did.

You stood up and curtseyed, blowing kisses to him and to every corner; practically enjoying the fame and glory in a playful manner. Leonardo sensed this playfulness side of yours and decided to play along.

"Bravissima! Fantastici!"

"Did I miss something?" said a voice from behind Leonardo.

Leonardo snapped his head back. A man in white robes emerged from the shadows. He had a red sash underneath his metal belt, and you could see numerous knives and pouches tied to it. He was wearing leather boots and his face was hidden beneath a beaked hood.

"Ezio! Amico! It is good to see you once again!"

"Good to see you too, Leonardo. You're practically the only person I know that doesn't mind me barging in their home at this time of the night."

"Don't be ridiculous amico, come, come... take a seat and I'd get you some hot tea..." Leonardo looked at his friend analytically, before speaking. "... and some dry clothes. You'd get sick if you don't get out of those wet clothes."

Leonardo hurriedly went off to find towels and new clothes for Ezio, leaving you and the assassin alone.

Ezio removed his armaments and proceeded to get rid of his belt. You continued to stare silently, blinking at the sight of the deadly knives that adorned his belt.

Still, Ezio did not remove his hood, but you could see a smile; no a smirk creeping its way through his features.

"Well buona sera, signorina." You nodded at Ezio in greeting.

"The weather is dreadful outside, which makes me think how I could not have noticed you entering my abode?" Leonardo interrupted without meaning to.

"Easy, I climbed your house and entered through a window."

"As expected." Leonardo smiled as he handed a towel to his friend and placed his clothes right next to the table.

"Who's this beautiful musician that seems to be at ease in your home at this time of the night?" Ezio inquired, throwing a smirk your way and Leonardo's.

You looked down at the instrument on your lap. It was obviously the one thing that tipped Ezio off. You suddenly blushed at the query.

Leonardo was pouring Ezio some tea and by the time the question left Ezio, the genius was so shocked by the question that he accidentally spilled the tea on his papers.

You immediately stood up and helped Leonardo with the mess, trying to save what you can before the hot dripping beverage could completely ruin his prototype sketches and blueprint.

Ezio raised an eyebrow at the sight of the two flustered artists.

After cleaning the mess, both of you turned to face Ezio. "Amico mio, this is (f/n). (f/n) this is Ezio, a good friend of mine."

Ezio stood up, and pulled his hood down.

He was absolutely one of the most gorgeous men you had ever seen. The air about him screamed "nobility", the stubbles on his jaw called "masculine", his eyes almost held a romantic personality within them, his smile adorned his features making your knees weak... you just knew deep down that he had a body, and mind to match.

He took your hand and placed a gentle lingering kiss on your knuckles. "Piacere, signorina (f/n)."

You felt yourself getting flustered all the more, and couldn't find the words to reply to him. Then again you were mute so how were you supposed to anyway?

Finding your silence, Ezio looked up. His hazel eyes finding your own. Throughout the years, you always found it hard to tell someone else that you were incapable of speech. Trying to tell this handsome man only made you feel all the more nervous.

"She cannot speak, amico." Leonardo spoke for you and you looked at him, almost as if you were thanking him.

"Che?"

"She is incapable of speaking. (f/n) is mute."

"I see..." Ezio said as he slowly stood up from his bowing position.

You smiled apologetically at Ezio, and he returned it.

"Amico you need to change your clothes. You don't want to be sick for your next mission."

_Mission?_ You pondered.

Without replying, Ezio immediately started taking clothes off. Your eyes widened in shock and your face could only get redder and redder.

"Oh I almost forgot we have a lady's presence. _Mi dispiace_, I am just used to doing this without any lady present here in Leonardo's home. I'll go and change somewhere else." Ezio said as he went upstairs to God knows where.

Leonardo could only laugh as he placed the cup of tea in Ezio's hands before he left. Before you could glare at Leonardo for laughing at your predicament, you heard the crack of thunder once again. You let out an airy yelp and clung yourself right next to Leonardo.

The genius pondered at your whimpering form. "Are you scared of thunder, (f/n)?"

You only nodded your head whilst you hid your face in his sleeve.

"Come, it's late at night... you should go to bed."

But your grip on Leonardo's sleeve only tightened.

Thunder... it always brought your haunting past.

Leonardo gave you a kind smile and rubbed the side of your arms comfortingly. He then led you to your room upstairs. To both of your surprise, as you opened the door you were only greeted by a half naked Ezio on your bed, sleeping.

The genius sighed. "I forgot to tell him that this is your room."

He then took you to another set of doors and led you inside. "You can sleep in here tonight (f/n)."

You threw him a questioning look almost saying "but isn't this your room?"

"Si, it is my room. I can go and slee-"

A crack of thunder interrupted him. You immediately hurled yourself in his embrace, and your tears started to run uncontrollably.

Leonardo was speechless, you were actually crying. Normally, people who were scared of thunder wouldn't cry like this. He knew something was up.

He had to think of something. He led you to the bed and you both sat upright, your backs on the headboard. You wouldn't let go of him, and he hated the sight of a woman crying.

"Tell you what? I'd stay here until you fall asleep?"

You nodded, but you still gave him a questioning look. "Where would you sleep?"

Leonardo wasn't called a genius for nothing. Your body language was enough.

"I would go and sleep in my workshop."

You shook your head violently. You gestured to Leonardo, hoping maybe he would understand that you can sleep on the floor while he could sleep in the bed. You knew you could do the same with a sleeping Ezio in your room, but you only met the man. Then again, you only met Leonardo as well... but he wasn't a man carrying dozens of knives for accessories like Ezio. Besides, you thought, Leonardo seemed to be able to read your thoughts quite well. You just felt... safer with his kind of demeanour.

Leonardo sighed. He could take your suggestion, but sleeping in the same room with a lady no less is just rude. Then again, there was barely any space in his workshop for him to comfortably sleep on.

"Are you alright with that?"

You nodded and once again, thunder broke your thoughts and you clung yourself to Leonardo tighter than you did before.

Leonardo chuckled, "Well it would seem I can't get away either."

He stroke your hair to comfort you, but you weren't relaxing one bit. He closed his eyes and started humming the song you just played. This is one of the moments when Leonardo's amazing memory finally served a lady in need. He continued to hum slowly, the lullaby your father made you.

When you recognised the melody, you didn't dare look up at Leonardo, but you did relax.

The song... it was one of the only good memories left that you could bring back whenever you can. Either with a lyre, or the flute you usually carry in your pocket.

Slowly... you felt yourself drift to sleep.

Once you were asleep, Leonardo gently placed your sleeping body on his bed, tucking the blanket up to your chin. You looked so peaceful, he thought to himself.

Feeling a pair of eyes watching him, he turned around only to find Ezio leaning by the door frame.

"Was that the melody she was playing?"

"Si." Leonardo replied as he looked down at your form. "I thought you were sleeping?"

Ezio shrugged. "I thought you needed help in catching a lady?"

The two friends shared a chuckle before Ezio spoke once again.

"Can she really not speak?"

Leonardo shook his head, a sight of slight dismay. "Amico, of course she can't. If she did she would have spoken to me already."

"That's not what I meant. I mean... what caused her to be mute?"

"She could possibly be born with it."

"Could muteness also come from trauma?"

"It can. Why do you ask?"

Ezio looked down on the floor and he held such a sad look. "It's just that... her silence reminds me of my mother..."

"Dona Maria still hasn't spoken?"

"Up to now, not a single word." He slid his hand from his forehead down to his face, sighing in the end. "I don't know what to do, amico... I don't know what to do to make her talk again. Gathering feathers that Petruccio collect isn't easy despite the fact that I'm always on the rooftops of Italy."

"She just misses her family, my friend." Leonardo concluded. "After all... her only son is basically looking for death with every mission."

"Everyone knows I have to do this."

"We do. But I think what you need right now is to understand and be patient with your mother. Such things can deem others mute if they were ever to experience that. Or worse, they go crazy. Your mother is truly a strong woman despite her silence."

Ezio looked at your sleeping form. "Do you think she also went through the same thing as my mother?"

"Maybe... I can't definitely say but honestly? She couldn't stop crying when there's a crack of thunder. Normally people wouldn't cry at that, and her crying like that led me to conclude that something happened in her past."

Silence filled the room, both men despondent to pursue the conversation knowing that it's none of their business.

"Strange..."

"What is?" Leonardo asked.

Ezio shook his head, "Nothing... I better get to bed. I'm very sore from today's activities." He felt like he was starting to mix up this conversation with one he intended to have with himself in the confines of 'his' room. It was about his previous mission. Though your eyes reminded him of someone's.

"Si... Buonanotte amico."

"Grazie... Good night, Leonardo."

Closing the door behind him, Ezio made his way to what was supposed to be your new room. As he plopped on the bed, he closed his eyes, sighed and tried to think back at the raid.

_Guards were sharing a drink with one another, toasting their large mugs in merriment. Ezio was hiding on one of the beams up the ceiling, waiting for any drip of information their tipsy tongue could produce._

_Some of them who were already drunk were laughing out loud._

"_Y'know that kid the captain brought with him?"_

"_Yeah? What about that street rat?"_

"_I overheard from the captain that that kid used to be a noble!"_

"_What? That kid? You're making that up."_

"_I'm serious! The captain was torturing the poor kid himself! He even threatened that if the kid didn't cooperate, someone worse is going to torture him."_

"_Someone worse than the captain? That's gotta be hell right there!"_

_"What information do we need from that kid?"_

" _I'm not sure... but the only thing I know is that, he's looking for an apple."_

_Ezio's eyes widened. They couldn't be talking about..._

"_An apple? You stronzo! You're already drunk!"_

_"I'm not! and I know what I'm talking about!"_

_The others just continued to laugh at their coworker._

_Without wasting any more time, he left the beam and made his way to the Captain's office. Upon finding the room empty, he quickly tried to find any sort of information that could lead him to the boy._

_He noticed one of the drawers was locked. He took out a set of pins and started to pick-lock. After a few minutes he was able to release the lock and he rummaged through the numerous parchments and folders._

_He placed them on the table and after awhile, he found what he was looking for._

"_Michael (l/n)"_


End file.
